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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/30041847">Exordium</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/TitaniaSarys/pseuds/TitaniaSarys'>TitaniaSarys</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>For Her Boys [FMAB-AU Where Al has Armor Illness] [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood &amp; Manga</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Al has Armor Illness, Al never lost his body, But they are still geniuses in alchemy, Parental Riza Hawkeye, Riza just wants to protect them, Riza-centric, Stiffness Disease, Team Mustang - Freeform, alternative universe, but Ed still lost his limbs, the Elric brothers didn't perform Human transmutation</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-16 01:35:39</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>9,357</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/30041847</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/TitaniaSarys/pseuds/TitaniaSarys</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Stiffness Disease (also known as the Armor Illness): a genetic disease that induces varying forms of paralysis in a patient, ranging from small limb paralysis to heart failure. Less than 1% of the Amestrian population suffers from it. No cure has been found to this day.</p><p>AU (with still some canon events happening) - The Elric brothers never performed Human Transmutation. But Al has Stiffness Disease and while Ed was trying to transmute a cure, he blew the house up. While on their way to East City, they run into Team Mustang.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Alphonse Elric &amp; Edward Elric, Alphonse Elric &amp; Riza Hawkeye, Edward Elric &amp; Riza Hawkeye, Riza Hawkeye &amp; Roy Mustang</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>For Her Boys [FMAB-AU Where Al has Armor Illness] [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2210022</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>31</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Exordium</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Come on, Al. We can make it.” Ed trudged forward, his left hand raised in front of his face to protect it from the rain. His other hand, tightly wrapped in cloth, was pressed against his side. Every time the wind blew off his cloak and a fresh wave of rain hit him, Ed winced.</p><p>“I’m coming,” panted Al, a few steps behind. His hood remained flat on his neck, the boy having given up on putting it back on after every gust of wind.</p><p>Ed dared a glance back and paled. Al had more and more trouble walking. He could barely stand up, his body dangerously swaying like a puppet in the wind. He wouldn’t be able to carry on for much longer, especially in this storm.</p><p>Ed’s right hand tightened. They needed to rest somewhere. Somewhere safe and warm and dry where Al could lie down and Ed could check how badly damaged his hand was.</p><p>Ed hated to put his brother through this. A small voice in his head reminded him that they had both chosen this path, had both agreed to this journey after checking all of their options and putting their two brilliant minds together. It was the best plan they had and Ed was intent on following it through. But it wouldn’t serve anyone if they died along the way.</p><p>Still, he felt responsible.</p><p>So he placed his left hand around Al’s shoulders to stabilize him and they pressed on, finally managing to climb over a small hill.</p><p>Ed looked north.</p><p>According to the map they took from Granny Pinako they should be halfway to the next town, a few miles off the train tracks. Ed hadn’t wanted to deviate from their route, but the storm threw them off and the need to find a shelter suddenly was more important than staying on the right path.</p><p>Ed knew some people lived between Resembool and Kaumafy. Lonely farms and orchards, the occasional mill. They had come across some of these settlements since they left the Rockbell Automail Shop. But as tempting as a night in a warm bed was, they steered clear of people. Everyone would question why two children travelled alone in the dead of night.</p><p>But he also knew there were a few houses here and there, abandoned after the Civil War spread like a disease through the east. Even Resembool hadn’t been spared.</p><p>Ed squinted through the rain. <em>There!</em></p><p>At the bottom of the hill was a dirt road. A two-story house stood lonely next to it, all dark windows and barred doors. Ed quickly scanned the building. It was rundown and looked abandoned, but at least there were no holes in the roof and it was still standing. It looked as if no one had set foot there in years, but they might still find something useful. No food, most likely, but maybe some clothes or even wood to make a fire. At least they would be dry and sheltered from the storm.</p><p>“Come on, Al!” Ed said loudly over the rain. “We’re almost there!”</p><p>If his brother made any sound of protest, Ed didn’t hear it and pushed Al forward slowly, minding the slope. After a few scares, they finally reached the bottom of the hill but Ed suddenly froze.</p><p>There was a flicker of light in one of the windows. It was so faint and disappeared so fast, Ed wondered if he hadn’t imagined it. They stood there for almost a full minute, hearts beating fast and bodies ready to bolt but no light appeared again.</p><p>Ed sighed. This storm was really getting on his nerves. He might also need rest if he was seeing things.</p><p>Slowly they made their way towards the house. A few pieces of broken glass from one of the front windows had been swept by the storm further down the road and planks threatened to be pulled out by the roaring wind. At times the house creaked and groaned, but Ed never saw it budge. <em>Good</em>. It wouldn’t fall on their heads during the night.</p><p>Ed led Al to the backdoor and peered through one of the windows. His eyes barely reached the glass and he had to stand on his tiptoes. The coast was clear. He gently tried the handle but the door was locked, most likely barred from the inside.</p><p>“Give me a sec, Al,” he said as he helped Al to the side of the building to shield him from the wind.</p><p>Then he clapped his hands and pressed them against the door.</p>
<hr/><p>“You should rest, Colonel. I’ll take first watch.”</p><p>Roy Mustang sighed from his seat at the table. A few feet from him, her back pressed against the wall, sat Riza Hawkeye, rifle by her side, pistols holstered under her armpits. Despite the engulfing darkness, he could see her silhouette. He could hear her breathing was even, calm, controlled. A slight variation of what it was when she was aiming at a target.</p><p>Fabric rustled and wood creaked. She had stood up.</p><p>Roy flickered his gloved hand above the half-melted candle on the table, casting a soft warm light in the room for a split second before he noticed his Lieutenant’s glare and extinguished it with another sigh.</p><p>“Fuery is already sleeping. He’ll take next watch. You have to be rested for tomorrow Colonel,” she added as she positioned herself near one of the windows, hands loose by her sides although Roy knew she was able to draw her weapons faster than he could snap his fingers.</p><p>Frightening how deadly they both were with their hands.</p><p>She looked outside for so long, Roy thought she would drop the subject.</p><p>“Colonel,” was all she had to say for him to stand.</p><p>“I’m going.” He dramatically lifted his hands in surrender before remembering she couldn’t see them. “But if Breda and Havoc come back before dawn, I want you or Fuery to wake me up.”</p><p>“Yes, sir,” she answered, gaze set on the outside.</p><p>How she could see through the murk, he didn’t know but he trusted her more than anyone, himself included. If Hawkeye believed it was worth to keep an eye on the outside, then that would be what they would do.</p><p>Roy wasn’t expecting an attack, but they had to follow protocol. Their mission in the south of the East Area hadn’t ended the way he expected it to. They found no trace of the rogue alchemist they were sent to apprehend, only some of his research. Roy was pleased nonetheless because he had something to bring back to East City and study. The fact that his team got away with only a couple of cuts and bruises was also good news.</p><p>But to avoid any more trouble, they had decided to remain one more night in the house they chose for their stakeout. Roy had sent Havoc and Brenda to the closest village to buy some supplies and check the surrounding area. Maybe their fleeing alchemist was hiding in a house just like this one?</p><p>The storm was probably keeping them and Roy hoped they had taken shelter in the village instead of walking back in this weather. The nearest train station was only a couple of miles away, they could make it there by tomorrow afternoon and be back in the city by late evening. They weren’t expected in East City before the day after anyway.</p><p>Roy had his foot already on the first step of the wooden stairs when he heard a noise coming from the backdoor. He heard a flurry of movement to his left and Hawkeye’s steady breathing. Roy sometimes still marveled at how natural it felt to stand this way, by her side, as if they had fought together all their lives.</p><p>True, they had seen more blood and violence than they wanted in Ishval. Despite the more “peaceful” times they lived in now, there was still the difficult mission, the hard assignment that brought it all back and made Roy thank the stars that he had someone like Hawkeye watching his back.</p><p>They remained quiet. She made no sound, but Roy knew she was holding one of her handguns, barrel pointed at the floor in front of the door. He raised his fingers, ready to snap at whatever threat dared disturb them in the middle of the night.</p><p>When the plank blocking the door on their side was transmuted to pieces and fell to the floor, the wind swinging the door open, Roy almost snapped his fingers. The only thing that prevented him from doing so was Hawkeye’s quick holstering of her gun. He heard her breathing hitch in the split second it took her to hide her gun and lift her open hands in front of her.</p><p>Roy couldn’t look away from the door. Two boys were standing in the doorway, swaying dangerously, the silhouettes illuminated by a flash of lightning. The closer one, who was also the shorter, remained in front of the other, half carrying him, half shielding him from them. When lightning flashed again Roy saw the surprise on his face. He wondered if the same astonishment was reflected on his own features.</p><p>The other boy moaned and his knees buckled, forcing the first one to scramble to catch him. Hawkeye was by their side before Roy could even call her rank. The first boy tensed and snarled at her like a rabid dog, placing himself between her and the other boy.</p><p>“Let me help you,” Hawkeye said.</p><p>The second boy moaned again as a cold blast of wind stabbed them and rattled the doorframe.</p><p>Roy sighed and went to fetch the candle.</p><p>“Let’s get them inside,” he said.</p>
<hr/><p>Riza didn’t wait for the Colonel’s approval as she fell to her knees next to the boys. Her heart broke when the shorter one snarled at her. What had these boys been through to immediately feel threatened?</p><p>Then the Colonel lit the candle and she could properly see them.</p><p>The shorter boy stood tall, his body tense. <em>He is protecting the other one. Maybe his brother?</em> Despite his shorter height, Riza felt like he was the oldest. Everything in him screamed that he would do anything to protect the other boy. She was brutally reminded of her own dog, how protective he would get if someone threatened her during one of their walks. It was pure instinct, she knew. Protect those who count, not matter the cost. She knew exactly how the boy felt.</p><p>She took a good look at their clothes. Simple, practical, well worn. <em>They are from the countryside, probably not very far from here.</em> Did they run away? Were they kidnapped and had escaped? Water dripped to the floor. They were soaked from head to foot. <em>They walked in the storm.</em> They seemed exhausted, the taller one about to keel over. <em>They were walking for a long time. The storm probably surprised them.</em></p><p>Each boy had a small bag slung over his shoulders and under his cloak. Small, light, round. <em>Not many things in there, no weapons. Practical for travel.</em> Probably some clothes and personal belongings. She was starting to think they really had ran away.</p><p>Their pant legs were ripped in places. <em>Bushes, most likely, or jagged rocks</em>. Mud was splattered all over their shoes. <em>Normal, given the storm</em>. Their cloaks were light and not waterproof. <em>They weren’t planning to go far or had to make do with what they had. Probably left in a hurry.</em></p><p>They looked frail, pale faces and dark circles under their eyes. <em>They are reaching their limit.</em> Knowing the shorter one had transmuted the door, he was probably the leader. <em>An alchemist at such a young age? </em>She smelled the air. <em>No blood.</em> Doesn’t mean they aren’t injured. The way the shorter one was cradling his right arm got her attention, but she tried not to focus on it.</p><p>The golden eyes of the shorter one caught her gaze. She knew those eyes. Hard eyes, broken gaze, eyes that had seen too much, eyes that regretted but that had accepted fate. But these were not eyes of a person that had given up. There was a fire in them. Hope even. She knew those eyes, had seen those eyes in Ishval on most of her fellow soldiers.</p><p>The Colonel had those eyes. She had those eyes.</p><p>In that moment she knew she would do anything in her power to help those boys. Maybe it was their trembling, maybe it was their vulnerable state, maybe it was her understanding that life wasn’t always fair and shit happened. Maybe she recognized herself in those eyes. Regardless of what it was, she wanted to help them.</p><p>The Colonel finally made his decision and agreed. Maybe he was fed up with the whole day and didn’t want to think too much about this. Maybe he didn’t want to argue with her. Or maybe he had seen it too. People didn’t give much credit to his perception, but he wouldn’t be where he is now if he wasn’t observant and keenly aware of what’s going on around him.</p><p>As soon as he spoke, Riza snapped into protector mode. She nodded briefly towards the Colonel and ever so slowly raised her hands, palms open and unthreatening while the Colonel moved to close the door. The shorter boy tensed and turned towards the Colonel, barring his teeth, but the other boy fell at the same time. Riza didn’t jump to catch him, the shorter boy already had.</p><p>“Al! Hang on, okay?! Please hang on!”</p><p>The taller boy didn’t answer. Riza cleared her throat and caught the look of desperate panic in the golden eyes of the shorter boy.</p><p>“We have a few supplies you can use. Some medicine, clean clothes, warm blankets. We have food as well. There are empty beds upstairs that you can use.” She gave the boy a few seconds to think it through before she added. “We don’t want anything in return.”</p><p>The boy looked at her wearily. “Nothing comes free.”</p><p>Riza thought for a moment and looked at the Colonel still standing by the door.</p><p>“How about you use our supplies and stay sheltered here. We wait out the storm and in exchange, in the morning you tell us who you are and what’s your story? We won’t hurt you, I promise.”</p><p>She caught the Colonel’s gaze. He simply nodded.</p><p>“Who are you?” asked the boy after a beat.</p><p>She hesitated but the Colonel stepped in.</p><p>“We are from the military. I’m Colonel Roy Mustang and this is First Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye. We have Sergeant Kain Fuery sleeping upstairs.” Riza appreciated the Colonel’s honesty. She felt the boys would have a hard time trusting them. It was best to tell them who they were right off the bat. Besides, it’s not like they were going to run away to warn off the rogue alchemist.</p><p>The boy seemed to think for a moment, his expression unreadable.</p><p>“I’m Ed,” he said simply. “This is my brother Al.”</p><p>Riza nodded and extended her hand. “There is a free room upstairs, open door. Do you need help?” She motioned towards Al, slumped in his brother’s arms. She saw Ed hesitate then nod. Gently, Riza scooped the taller boy in her arms, earning a small groan before Al snuggled in her neck. The Colonel handed Ed the candle and Riza thanked him with a short nod. Ed remained inexpressive as he walked upstairs, turning every few seconds to watch her.</p>
<hr/><p>Roy lit another candle and went to close the door but stopped dead in his tracks when he noticed the lack of transmutation circle. He looked at the stairs but the boy was already out of sight. How had he used alchemy without a circle? Or did he draw it somewhere else? He looked around but couldn’t find anything and quickly came back inside once rain started to soak through his clothes. He hated rain.</p><p>While Hawkeye took care of the boys, Roy gathered the supplies he thought she would need and brought those upstairs, leaving them by the only open door. He checked that the rogue alchemist’s research was still safely tucked inside his shirt then walked towards the other room and knocked loud enough to be heard through the storm.</p><p>A couple of seconds later he heard a small groan and feet dragging on the creaking wooden floor. The door opened and Fuery appeared, glasses askew on his nose, hair tousled from sleep and his shirt slightly rumpled. He saluted Roy, still half-asleep.</p><p>“Is it my turn to watch, sir?</p><p>“No,” Roy smiled and sighed. “We’ve got a situation.”</p><p>He asked the Sergeant to follow him downstairs. Once he explained everything to Fuery he gave him a couple of seconds to process it. The younger man nodded but didn’t comment. Roy could see that the Sergeant was pleased they had decided to help the boys which didn’t surprise him, seeing as he had been the one to bring Black Hayate in when he found him wandering the streets in the rain. He had a kind heart, a heart that Roy wanted to protect. Despite everything he had seen, Fuery remained optimistic and so genuinely good that Roy sometimes shuddered at the thought of what the world could do to a nice person like that.</p><p>“So what’s the plan?” Fuery asked eventually.</p><p>Roy sighed. “Depends on what Hawkeye learns. These boys clearly were not prepared for the storm. I wouldn’t be surprised if they ran away from home.” He thought for a moment as he looked through the window. They shouldn’t have lit the candles but there was no way to help the boys in the dark. It seems their caution was thrown in the wind as soon as those two broke down the backdoor.</p><p>Roy was particularly interested in the one who had performed the transmutation. As much as he thought about it, he couldn’t figure out how he did it without a circle. He would love to learn more about the kid, maybe even work with him some day. But he stopped before he got too ahead of himself and looked back at Fuery with a sad smile.</p><p>“Once the Lieutenant makes her report, we’ll decide. In any case we’re not going anywhere until Havoc and Breda come back. Hopefully they’ll be back in the morning. Depending on who these boys are we might have to take a slight detour.”</p><p>“You really think they ran away?” Fuery asked.</p><p>Roy nodded. “The closest village is too far for kids to come here to play. Especially in the middle of the night. Besides, this house has been abandoned for years. There was no trace of living when we got here three days ago.”</p><p>The top steps of the stairs creaked then and Hawkeye’s silhouette came out of the darkness.</p>
<hr/><p>Riza couldn’t help but internally smile as she watched from the corner of her eye as Ed watched her closely. She wondered once again what the brothers had been through for Ed to be so protective. <em>They might be orphans</em>, she thought. Which would explain why they were alone.</p><p>Ed stopped in front of the open room but moved inside when Riza gave him a small nod. So, he went inside and checked every corner of the room, from the rickety single bed, to the old moldy mattresses on the floors, to the barred yet intact window and the empty table near it. Satisfied, he turned to her and nodded. Riza took it as her cue and gently laid Al on the bed before taking off his soaked cloak and sitting next to him on the bed.</p><p>She quickly assessed him without touching him but found no visible injury. She touched his forehead but he didn’t feel particularly hot. He just lay there, unmoving but his body was tense as a rock, all the muscles stiff. It made her frown. She watched him for a while, counting until she reached thirty, then turned to Ed who was standing on the other side of the bed, having shed his cloak as well but keeping his arm against his body like before. In the light of the candle that Ed had placed on the table, she noticed it was wrapped in an extra layer of cloth, as if to protect something from the rain.</p><p>“Does your brother have Stiffness Disease?” she asked Ed. His eyes widened and finally left his brother’s face. He just stared at her blankly.</p><p>“How did you…”</p><p>Riza exhaled slowly.</p><p>“I’ve heard about it but I’ve never met someone who suffers from it.”</p><p>Ed bit his lip and clenched his left fist. “Yeah, he does. Our mother had it too. Sometimes he…” He took another breath before he resumed. “Sometimes he just stiffens and can’t move. It’s like he’s paralyzed.”</p><p>Riza listened patiently. During her days at the Academy, before Ishval, they had a class on the various diseases they could catch on the battlefield and how to recognize them. One person had asked about what was also called Armor Illness because the patient would become stiff like a piece of armor. Her professor had told her that this disease was only genetic and couldn’t be caught, but that there also wasn’t a known cure for it.</p><p>“How long does an attack last?” she asked softly as worry seeped into Ed’ golden eyes.</p><p>“Depends. It can be a few minutes if we’re lucky. Longest we’ve experienced was five hours.”</p><p>He opened his mouth but closed it. Riza was curious, but she didn’t pry. Their trust had to be earned and she wouldn’t do that by pressing the kid to tell her things he clearly didn’t want to tell.</p><p>“What can we do to help?”</p><p>Ed looked at her as if she had just told him that babies came from storks. She smiled.</p><p>“We are serious about helping you, Ed.”</p><p>“Why?”</p><p>There were so many reasons she could give him, half of which he probably wouldn’t believe.</p><p>“Because I don’t like seeing others suffer. And because I know what it’s like to be on your own and to have to fend for yourself.”</p><p>Something changed in Ed’s eyes and he looked at her for a long time without saying anything. She then heard shuffling near the door and saw the Colonel's’ silhouette as he placed a bundle on the floor and left when she nodded curtly, giving him the confirmation that everything was okay. She silently listened to his conversation with Fuery, even though he tried to keep his voice down, and only got up to retrieve the bundle when she couldn’t hear the men’s steps downstairs.</p><p>“There’s not much we can do to help,” Ed sighed as she came back and placed the bundle on the bed next to Al’s feet. “I always try to make him comfortable and entertain him if he’s conscious. But I never leave him. Usually he’s hungry afterwards, sometimes sleepy if he was awake during the whole thing.”</p><p>Riza nodded and started looking through what the Colonel had brought. She placed the two blankets to the side. She silently thanked the Colonel for choosing the smallest spare clothes they had (the ones reserved for Fuery and herself, seeing as they had the smallest body types) and gave them to Ed.</p><p>“You should change. We can set up your wet clothes to dry during the night. I’m sorry if these are too big.”</p><p>Ed took the clothes and riffled through them, only taking two long sleeved shirts, two pairs of pants and socks, giving the rest back to her. She then went through the medication they had and looked at Ed.</p><p>“Are you both hurt anywhere?”</p><p>Ed shook his head. “The storm surprised us, that’s all. And Al has his attack but no medication will help him with that.”</p><p>She felt that he wanted to add something, but stopped himself. She remained quiet. She checked the rest of the supplies but nothing seemed useful. She then remembered Ed mentioning food.</p><p>“Are you hungry?”</p><p>Ed shook his head.</p><p>“I can bring you something from downstairs so you won’t have to leave. We should have some crackers and fruit left. I’m sorry we have nothing warm.”</p><p>“It’s okay. Maybe when Al wakes up, he could eat something.”</p><p>Riza looked at him pointedly and Ed lowered his eyes for a split second.</p><p>“Maybe we could eat something.”</p><p>She smiled softly then pointed at his bundled arm.</p><p>“Do you need help with that?”</p><p>He frowned as he looked down at his arm. He seemed to hesitate before taking off the cloth. The light from the candle caught on the metal of his automail. Riza couldn’t see how far up his arm it went but she could tell there was something wrong with it.</p><p>“It’s a little rusty. I’ve had this one for a year now and some dust got into it a few days ago. It’s… hard to clean up. I can’t really do it myself.”</p><p>“Would some oil help?” Riza asked immediately.</p><p>Ed looked at her skeptically, then nodded. She got up.</p><p>“I’ll leave the candle. I’m going to go grab a bucket of water if you want to clean up and I’ll bring the oil and food. Do you need help changing your brother’s clothes?”</p><p>Ed shook his head and Riza nodded.</p><p>“Thank you for trusting us, Ed.”</p><p>He didn’t look at her, his entire being focused on Al’s rigid form. As she crossed the threshold, she heard his whisper.</p><p>“Thank you, ma’am.”</p><p>“You can call me Riza, or Hawkeye or even Lieutenant. Not need for ma’ams.”</p><p>Ed nodded and she saw something shine in his eyes. A spark of hope.</p><p>She left them alone.</p>
<hr/><p>Roy waited for her to join them.</p><p>“They aren’t hurt, only cold from the rain. They might want to eat something later, when Al wakes up. If Breda and Havoc bring something fresh, I advise giving that to the brothers.”</p><p>Roy nodded. “Anything else?”</p><p>“Al has Stiffness Disease.”</p><p>Roy tensed and Fuery frowned, looking between the Lieutenant and the Colonel in confusion until Hawkeye explained.</p><p>“What else did you notice?” Roy asked after a beat. He saw in her eyes that she was expecting him to ask that.</p><p>“They are very close. I wouldn’t be surprised if they are each other’s only living relative. They seem to have been through a lot and it’s obvious they have been on their own for a while. Ed seems to have extensive knowledge about his brother’s condition, although he doesn’t seem to want to share. I wouldn’t push, we have to earn their trust first. I also believe their mother died of this illness.”</p><p>Roy nodded.</p><p>“Ed has an automail arm,” she then said carefully, her arms clasped in her back as she stood straight. Roy narrowed his eyes. “I offered to give him some oil to clean it.”</p><p>“Nothing else?”</p><p>“No, sir.”</p><p>Roy nodded and turned to Fuery.</p><p>“Hawkeye will help the boys. There are still no signs of Havoc and Breda, so we’ll see in the morning about our next move. In the meantime, Sergeant you can go back to sleep. Sorry for waking you up. Hawkeye will wake you when it’s your turn to take watch. I will go sleep as well.” He said that last part looking pointedly at Hawkeye and Fuery couldn’t help but smile at their antics.</p><p>Fuery saluted them both and disappeared up the stairs. Roy turned to Hawkeye. “I’ll stand watch until you are ready.”</p><p>She nodded. “Thank you, sir.”</p>
<hr/><p>Riza grabbed some of the food they had left and an extra blanket before she went outside to grab one of the buckets they placed there when it started raining. She placed a glass in there and swung a rag over her arm. But before she could go back up, she stopped near one of the windows were her sniper equipment was. Her rifle was still there, as was everything else and she took her oil can out of her bag.</p><p>She made sure her steps were loud as she entered the room where the brothers’ were staying. Ed smiled a little bit when he saw her. She noticed proudly that he and Al were changed, their wet clothes laying in a pile at the foot of the bed. She placed the food on the table and the bucket on the floor before she gave Ed the rag and the oil.</p><p>“It’s the oil I use to clean my guns. I hope it’s alright.”</p><p>Ed didn’t even flinch. Riza knew he had noticed her handguns poking out from under her arms but she wondered if he had seen her gun raised before she could holster it as they barged in through the backdoor. If he did, he didn’t mention it.</p><p>“Yes, it’ll work. Winry uses machine oil anyway.”</p><p>Riza lifted an eyebrow and Ed blushed as he lowered his gaze, focusing on opening the can instead of looking at her.</p><p>“She’s a friend from our village.”</p><p>“I see.” Riza nodded. “Let me know if you need help with anything. Fuery and the Colonel are sleeping, but I will keep watch downstairs.”</p><p>Ed thanked her again and dipped the rag in the oil. She took their wet clothes and let them be.</p><p>The Colonel was still waiting by one of the living room windows when she got down.</p><p>“Thank you, sir.”</p><p>He nodded and walked towards the stairs, ready to crash on his moldy mattress in Fuery’s room. “Good night, Lieutenant.”</p><p>Riza watched him climb the stairs before she laid the boys clothes over the back of chairs and turned to her equipment. She checked that everything was still in working order then grabbed her rifle and blew out the candle. She let her eyes readjust to the darkness then took her spot by one of the windows, keeping an eye on the south side of the road.</p><p>She usually preferred to have a spot somewhere high where she could see better, but the windows upstairs all gave on worse angles. Besides, the living room gave her plenty of places to hide and many options to improvise with should things turn sour. She had to remind herself she was just keeping watch and wasn’t on a sniper mission, yet she still liked to be prepared. It’s her preparation and organization skills, coupled with her eye for detail and great instincts that had kept the Colonel alive so far, although she couldn’t take all the credit, the man himself was a force to be reckoned with. But he was often reckless and sometimes did stupid things.</p><p>Despite the exhaustion of the past few days catching up to her, Riza didn’t have trouble staying awake. She just had to think about her team and the two boys upstairs to remind herself they were counting on her. Her body couldn’t rest until the mission was over. She was grateful the years of conditioning she put her body and mind through were paying off.</p><p>By the time Fuery came down, the storm was gone and dawn was breaking. They talked in hushed whispers for a while, Riza not minding the distraction as Fuery stretched his legs a bit before his watch. He assured her he could take it from here but then she spotted two figures walking on the road.</p><p>After a few seconds she recognized Havoc and Brenda and lowered her rifle. Fuery went to wake up the Colonel.</p><p>Havoc had a bag of supplies slung over his shoulder and was finishing his last cigarette as he walked through the front door. Hawkeye still kept her eyes trailed on the road, but with the sun beginning to light everything, she figured everyone could soon see clearly. Besides, it was Fuery’s turn to take watch.</p><p>It turned out, once the storm started, the store owner where Havoc and Breda bought supplies offered them a place to sleep for the night. After a delicious dinner, both men had happily slept in real beds. A little before dawn, they paid for their stay and came back to the house where the rest of the team was.</p><p>“One of the families in the village said they could take us to the train station in their wagon. Should be enough place for all of us. They can leave after eight.”</p><p>Riza watched the Colonel nod. “That leaves us two hours to get there. It’s more than enough, even at a moderate pace.”</p><p>Breda and Havoc then proceeded to tell the Colonel what they had learned about the surrounding area. Unfortunately, they didn’t learn anything about the rogue alchemist or where he might be hiding. Breda had already pulled fresh food out of the bag and was making breakfast for everyone when the stairs creaked and two blond heads appeared.</p>
<hr/><p>Roy smiled at the boys and motioned for them to come over. Ed was first, with Al hiding a little behind him despite the fact he was taller. Roy snickered when Havoc and Breda’s jaws dropped to the floor and explained what had happened during the night. But before Roy could interrogate the boys, he invited them to take seats at the table.</p><p>The clothes they were wearing were a bit too big so they changed into their own now dry clothes before joining the soldiers. Hawkeye left her post by the window when Fuery took her place, a fresh slice of bread and hot coffee in hand. She was putting away her rifle when she felt a presence by her side. Ed handed her the oil can.</p><p>“Thanks, Lieutenant,” he said, rubbing his neck with his left hand. His right metal hand was uncovered and he didn’t seem to have any issue moving it. Hawkeye nodded and placed the can back into her bag before she went to the table as well.</p><p>Havoc and Breda seemed to have adopted the boys and were joking with Al who seemed perfectly fine now, retelling some of their old missions, to the boy’s amazement. Ed was listening as well, but Roy noticed he did his best to pretend he wasn’t interested. Once the boys had food in front of them and were happily munching on slices of apples, Roy handed Hawkeye a cup of steaming coffee and motioned for her to sit on the remaining third chair. She pointedly ignored him but whispered a quick <em>thank you</em> as she took her coffee and immediately wrapped her hands around the cup.</p><p>Roy simply shook his head at her refusal to sit down. He noticed she looked tired, probably hadn’t slept at all during the night, but he knew better than to question her. If she believed she could work properly, he was fine with that, although he decided to still keep an eye on her. Just in case.</p><p>Once Roy was sure everyone had eaten their fill and was wide awake, he turned to the boys.</p><p>“Ed, Al. We have to decide what to do next.”</p><p>The boys turned their attention to him, listening as intently as before but the smiles left their faces.</p><p>“Our mission here is over. We will go to the village Havoc and Breda mentioned and use their wagon to reach the train station. We need to get back to East City by tonight. That gives us plenty of time to drop you off somewhere.” He waited a bit for dramatic effect. “So where would you like to go?”</p><p>Both boys blinked. A small smile started on Al’s lips. “East City!”</p><p>It was Roy’s turn to blink and Ed regained his composure in that split second.</p><p>“Yes, we’d like to go to East City. But we don’t have any money.” They both lowered their heads.</p><p>“Why East City? Don’t you want to go home?”</p><p>A sad veil covered Al’s eyes but something dangerous flickered in Ed’s gaze.</p><p>“We don’t have a home.”</p><p>Roy didn’t stop there.</p><p>“Where did you come from then?”</p><p>“Resembool,” Al said before his brother glared at him.</p><p>“We were born there, but we don’t have a home anymore,” Ed spat.</p><p>Roy saw Ed look at Hawkeye, but the woman remained expressionless and sipped her coffee, simply ignoring Roy’s please-tell-me-what-you-know look.</p><p>“Why East City?” Roy asked after he realized Hawkeye was not going to cave in to his puppy eyes.</p><p>“We want to study alchemy,” Ed said and Al nodded vigorously, always the enthusiastic one.</p><p>“So you both are alchemists?” Roy asked. “Then how did you manage to transmute this door last night without drawing a circle?”</p><p>Ed bit his lips before he answered.</p><p>“It’s something we’ve always been able to do. We’ve been told our father was a talented alchemist that could do that as well.”</p><p>“Who taught you alchemy?”</p><p>“No one. We just read dad’s books and practiced,” Al answered.</p><p>Roy had to admit he was impressed. It had taken him months of studying before he was able to transmute the simplest things and he had always needed a transmutation circle. His apprenticeship with Master Hawkeye had taken years and even at the end, he still felt like he had so much to learn. He shot a quick glance at Hawkeye who looked back. She was thinking the same thing.</p><p>“Do you know someone in East City that can teach you? Do you have a place to stay?”</p><p>The boys shook their heads. “We… thought we’d figure things out once we got there.”</p><p>“How old are you, ten?”</p><p>“I’m twelve!” Ed boasted angrily.</p><p>“And I’m eleven!” added Al with as much gusto.</p><p>Roy saw Hawkeye’s lips twitch upwards before she brought her cup to her mouth. All his men remained quiet.</p><p>Roy wanted to slap the boys or bang his own head against the wall.</p><p>“The city is no place for children to wander on their own!”</p><p>Al and Ed’s faced fell and Roy lifted his hand.</p><p>“That being said… we could take you there. As an officer in the military and State alchemist, I know people who could teach you.”</p><p>“You’re a State alchemist?” Ed asked in awe and Roy smirked. Hawkeye rolled her eyes. Maybe he could show them later.</p><p>“Yes. I could even teach you some basics. But to take you we need to have the authorization of your legal guardian. Since you’d also need to attend a regular school, live somewhere.”</p><p>“Granny Pinako could do that,” Al said, turning to Ed.</p><p>“So there is someone who’s been taking care of you.”</p><p>The boys nodded and told them Granny Pinako and Winry (Hawkeye lifted an eyebrow when Ed mentioned her name but didn’t say anything) lived in Resembool and that she would probably give her authorization.</p><p>“But why would you help us?” Ed asked, crossing his arms on his chest. No one said anything about his automail.</p><p>“Because you have talent and this kind of talent shouldn’t be wasted,” Roy answered in an even voice. “Because there are things even I could learn from you and this nation needs strong reliable alchemists.”</p><p>Roy caught Hawkeye’s gaze and saw a question in it, one that he promised himself he would answer later. She seemed to understand and went back to sipping her coffee after filling her cup again.</p><p>The team also learned the boys wanted to study alchemy to find a cure for Al’s sickness, something he was nervous to talk about. They came up with a plan and were ready to leave by the time the sun was shining.</p><p>“We still need to figure out where you are going to stay during your studies,” Roy mentioned.</p><p>Hawkeye put her cup down on the table.</p><p>“They can stay at my place, sir.”</p><p>Roy lifted an eyebrow questioningly. He knew her place was barely big enough for her and a dog. He couldn’t picture two extra kids in there.</p><p>“We’ll manage,” she answered as if reading his thoughts. “Besides, Hayate could use the company, he loves children.”</p><p>“Then it is decided,” Roy said. He made a mental note to start looking for two bedroom apartments in East City as soon as they got back to help his Lieutenant although he had the feeling she would already be on it. He was surprised she had volunteered since he didn’t think she was the type to willing take care of children. But he also knew she was a protector. Al seemed to really like her already despite the little they had known each other and Ed seemed to trust her the most out of all the soldiers in the room. Somehow, she had found a way to reach him.</p><p>When it was all decided, they grabbed all their things and left the house. Surprisingly, Al didn’t have any issues keeping up. He was actually full of energy, the night of sleep having done wonders. Ed seemed okay as well and Roy knew he had slept because he found the boy sleeping next to his brother in the bed when he himself had gone to sleep. Roy remembered the boy’s slumped form, the oil covered rag still clutched in his hand.</p><p>As soon as Breda mentioned the name of the village, Al volunteered to lead them, despite every soldier knowing the way. Roy couldn’t help but smile as they chatted excitedly with Breda at the front of their line. Fuery and Havoc walked a few feet behind them, in silent companionship.</p><p>Roy closed the rear, Hawkeye on his heels. She walked slightly to the right, watching their surroundings. Her body was relaxed so Roy figured they weren’t in any immediate danger. Still, she kept one hand on the strap of her sniper bag, the big square thing on her back making her look like a weird turtle. Her other bag was loosely slung over her other shoulder. Her pistols remained close at hand.</p><p>“Why did you agree to take them?” Roy asked, skipping a step to be on her level despite her frown. He knew she preferred to be one step behind and slightly to the side, but he figured she could take a break from her bodyguard duties.</p><p>She remained quiet for a long time, watching the rest of the group in pleased contemplation, before finally speaking. “Because they need someone to care for them.”</p><p>“They have their grandmother.”</p><p>“Someone in the city. Someone who is where the action will be. Because that’s where they will go.”</p><p>He couldn’t help but smile as he put his hands in his pockets and watched their ragtag team by her side.</p>
<hr/><p>Several hours later, they all stood in front of the Rockbell Automail Shop in Resembool. Al seemed happy to be back, as if he was visiting an old friend, but nervousness was written all over Ed’s face.</p><p>“We’re finally there and you’re chickening out?” the Colonel asked him as he stopped next to the boy.</p><p>Ed had to crane his neck to look at the Colonel.</p><p>“AM NOT!” he yelped and grabbed Al by the hand before marching towards the house, much to the soldiers’ amusement. Riza’s lips curled slightly upwards.</p><p>“Granny! We’re home!” Ed yelled as he forcefully pushed the door open.</p><p>Two things happened at once. A dog jumped at the boys, sending them sprawling down the wooden steps and the wrench that would have hit Ed’s head flew in the air before it crashed somewhere on the porch. Two female voices, one young and one old, yelled the boys’ names at the same time.</p><p>After a lot of kisses, slaps, apologies and yelling, Granny Pinako had everyone seated inside the humble main room. Automail parts could be seen in various states of repairs around the house and a mouthwatering smell came from the oven as they all settled down. Pinako insisted they have lunch with them after she thanked them for finding her boys.</p><p>The Colonel, who had taken a seat with Riza and Fuery at the table, while Havoc smoked in a corner and Breda looked out the window at the kids playing in the yard, looked at the old woman.</p><p>“As glad as I am to be of service, it is not the reason why we came here.” He told her everything that had happened during the night.</p><p>Pinako took a puff of her pipe and shook her head.</p><p>“Those brats…” she said lovingly. “Always getting in trouble and doing things their way.”</p><p>“Is there really no cure for Al’s illness?” Riza asked.</p><p>Pinako took another puff. “Not that I know of. These boys have read all the books they could get their hands on. If there was something about a cure in there, they would have found it.”</p><p>“Where is their father?” Riza asked. As much as she didn’t want to pry, she had to know if she was to watch over them.</p><p>“Nobody knows,” Pinako answered and her icy tone made the temperature drop in the room. “A few years after the boys were born, he just left and never came back. No letter, no explanation, nothing. I think the boys gave up on him. They never mention him and I wonder how much they remember of him.” She shook her head again. “I practically raised them. When their mother was too sick to even move, they came over here.”</p><p>Breda smiled as he looked outside.</p><p>“That’s why they are so close to your granddaughter.”</p><p>Pinako smiled. “She’s the light of my life. A brilliant young lady.” Her smile faded then and she lowered her head. “Before you ask, Winry’s parents died during the war. They were doctors sent to Ishval.”</p><p>Every one tensed in the room and Pinako looked at the Colonel. “You’ve served there, haven’t you?”</p><p>It was his turn to lower his head. Riza’s hand tensed under the table.</p><p>“Yes, some of us here have.”</p><p>Pinako didn’t ask who exactly, but the way she looked at Riza made her think she knew exactly who.</p><p>“In any case, Trisha did her best. She was a loving mother. But even she wasn’t strong enough and the illness took her last year.”</p><p>Riza’s face paled. Ever since Ed had mentioned that his mother had Stiffness Disease, she had wondered if it was what had killed her. Hearing Pinako confirm that made her fear all too real. If their mother had died of this illness, it was possible that Al would die of it as well. She understood why Ed seemed so obsessed with it, why it was a question of life and death. Suddenly she felt the urge to look through the window, to check if they were both still moving, still breathing. She pictured Al laying on the floor like a discarded suit of armor, his heart paralyzed and drawing his last breath.</p><p>She pinched herself under the table.</p><p>“And they have been with you since then?”</p><p>Pinako nodded. Since she seemed willing to answer their question, Riza continued.</p><p>“How did Ed loose his arm?”</p><p>“Same way he lost his leg.” Pinako ignored the surprised looks on everyone’s face. “After their mother’s death, Ed wouldn’t stop reading his father’s books as well as my medical books, fearing for Al’s life. He would stay locked inside for days. Until one day, Al was helping me with lunch and we heard an explosion.”</p><p>She turned towards the window and pointed with her pipe at something in the distance.</p><p>“Do you see that hill? That’s where their house used to be. Ed tried to transmute a cure and blew their house up. Lost his arm and leg in the process. It’s a miracle he’s still alive.” She emptied the pipe in an ashtray. “It must hurt. It certainly looks like it when we change his automails. The scars are sometimes red and the metal pulls at the skin. And then there’s phantom pain as well. But I haven’t hear him complain or whine or pity himself even once.”</p><p>Riza felt her heart break. Pinako’s explanation only strengthened her resolve to take care of the boys.</p><p>“We would like to help the boys in East City,” Riza said. Pinako lifted her head and looked Riza in the eye. Not once did the blonde woman flinch or look away. “They have told us they want to study alchemy there. I have an apartment and the financial means to take care of them. There is a school they could attend and of course they would visit you.”</p><p>She took a small breath.</p><p>“I think it’s important for them,” Riza concluded.</p><p>Pinako remained quiet until the oven’s alarm rang and she got up. “Let’s talk about this after lunch. You all must be hungry.” Despite how much Riza wanted to hear her thoughts on the matter, she simply nodded, her professional mask slipping back into place. She looked at the Colonel who simply nodded before they both rose. They still had time before the last train.</p><p>“Kids! Come and help!” Pinako yelled after she had checked the oven. Riza offered to help but she was ushered to the other side of the room. “You are guests here,” Pinako said before the children barreled through the door. Winry and Al smiled at Riza, but Ed simply frowned, as if wondering why they were all still here. But he was soon pulled out of his musings when Winry dragged him to wash their hands.</p><p>Riza and her colleagues watched the children set the table and help Pinako. They worked like a well-oiled machine, having done this a thousand times. The table was too small to fit them all so a few of the soldiers ate standing up, much to Pinako’s embarrassment but Roy assured it was alright. They had eaten in worse conditions after all, although he didn’t mention that.</p><p>Save for the children bickering, lunch was uneventful. While the children washed the dishes – meaning Winry washed, Al dried and Ed put away – Pinako lit her pipe again and turned to Riza.</p><p>Despite her calm exterior, Riza’s heart was pounding in her chest. She kept her brown eyes on the older woman, trying to guess her reaction, coming up with all sorts of reasons to convince her and yet she remained silent. It was a strange feeling, wanting to do everything for those boys despite barely knowing them. But she felt like it was the right thing to do, like she was supposed to do this.</p><p>For a split second, the Colonel’s hand covered her jittery fingers under the table. He squeezed her hand briefly and then it was gone.</p><p>Pinako took a puff of her pipe, watched Riza and let the smoke out before she said.</p><p>“I agree. I think the boys should go to East City.”</p><p>There was a soft <em>thud</em> from the general direction of the sink, followed by a <em>splash</em> and Ed’s shrill voice demanding why Winry had just hosed him. In the corner of her eye Riza saw Ed pick up the cup he had dropped on the carpet but she kept her gaze on Pinako.</p><p>“Alright, I’ll let you take them.”</p><p>They agreed on all the details and by the time they had to leave to catch the last train to East City, Riza had an official document from the town’s mayor stating she would foster the children for the upcoming future. Packing their things was a matter of minutes seeing as the boys had few belongings. As she helped them put their clothes, some books and a few toys in one big suitcase, she promised herself to take them shopping first thing the next day. Hayate would love the outing as well.</p><p>Pinako and Winry also showed her how to properly clean Ed’s automails and help him with it, which the boy denied he would ever need and stomped away halfway through. Riza just took everything in, memorizing every bit of information. She even thanked Winry when the girl wrote down their number so she could call if she ever needed help. Riza promised she would and that she would make sure the boys called regularly, which seemed to make Winry slightly less sad that her best friends were leaving.</p><p>Pinako gave the boys a picture of the four of them with their dog Den and Riza noticed how Ed’s eyes misted briefly before he hastily shoved the picture in their suitcase and avoided Pinako’s gaze. Winry sobbed until the train arrived and didn’t want to let them go. The boys promised to visit and pretended it wasn’t a big deal, acting as if they couldn’t wait to leave. If Riza saw a few tears spill while they waved Winry and Pinako goodbye as the train lurched forward, she didn’t say anything. Pinako squeezed her granddaughter’s shoulder as they stood on the platform and clutched the map Ed had stolen from her in the other hand.</p><p>Riza sighed and looked at the Colonel sitting opposite her next to Breda. Fuery and Havoc were on a bench on her left, while the boys still stood by the window on her right. As they finally settled next to her, but without entering her personal space, she looked at them. She couldn’t believe it was actually happening. She was fostering two children. She had no idea what she was doing. Would she be able to provide for them? To teach them what they needed to know to survive in this cruel world? To love them?</p><p>To prevent the questions in her head to spill out of her mouth, she looked at the Colonel who only nodded with the twinge of a smile before he looked out the window at the green and gold fields rushing by. He had assured her on their way to the mayor that there were funds she could get to cover the boys’ expenses. It would be helpful, especially if she was to move to a bigger place now that two more people would be living under her roof.</p><p>It didn’t take long for the boys to fall asleep. Riza’s eyelids felt heavy. She hadn’t slept during the night and now that the adrenaline had finally ran its course, she felt like the short distance to the city wouldn’t prevent her from falling asleep. Al was now resting against her side, while Ed stubbornly slept against the car wall, one of his legs propped up on the bench despite Riza’s warning not to do so.</p><p>“You can take a break now, Lieutenant,” the Colonel said. Breda, Fuery and Havoc were playing cards on the other side of the car, too engrossed in their game to pay the two officers any attention.</p><p>Riza looked at the Colonel. Her hand brushing Al’s hair out of his face didn’t stop moving.</p><p>“I will keep watch,” the Colonel continued. His tone was low and soft, just like whenever they were alone, tethering on the edge of what could be but never was. “You can rest for a bit. I will let you know when we reach the city or if anything goes wrong.”</p><p>Riza hesitated. She felt like she could still power through for a couple of hours. She had gone longer without sleep before, especially in Ishval. If she needed to, she would stay awake. But she didn’t want to crash at her place later without making sure the boys were all settled in.</p><p>She looked at the Colonel. He looked back.</p><p>No words were exchanged.</p><p>She looked down at the boys, then at the forests and hills slowly making way to villages and urban areas. From her seat, she checked that all their luggage was still there, her rifle bag right above her. With one glance she checked the rest of the car and the exits.</p><p>As she gently shifted to find a more comfortable position, she was acutely aware of Al’s warmth against her side. It was nice.</p><p>Her eyelids started dropping. Her guns felt solid against her limbs. There was no emergency for once, all was quiet.</p><p>She nodded to the Colonel, glanced back at the boys and closed her eyes, the ghost of a smile on her lips.</p>
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